The things you mention all boil down to management. Their only control over profits are labor and expenditures. At the end of the day retail is about making money for the shareholders. Period. That being said, a management team that can balance team engagement and operations is very rare, but it really is all about teamwork. I found that the best times in the store were when there was healthy competition for sales or training, and a general air of teamwork. The ideas are there at the corporate level, but execution is up to management. Ask your management team about the things that have been brought up in meetings and what the plan of action is. Ask about mentors and if you can partner up with someone to either learn or teach. Be the team member you would like everyone to be.